Jose Mourinho has given Phil Jones a new lease on life at Manchester United

Jones, 24, became disillusioned during a 10-month run without a first-team game at United after being frozen out by Van Gaal.

The centre-back, touted as a future England captain by Sam Allardyce when they worked together at Blackburn, thought he would have to move on to get his career going again.

But Mourinho brought him back into the side at the start of November – and he has not looked back since.

“You just get that vibe from certain managers that you are liked and you are comfortable with them,” Jones said.

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“You go into training and you just know when someone likes you, and someone doesn’t”

Man United defender Phil Jones

“You go into training and you just know when someone likes you, and someone doesn’t. You know. You don’t need anybody to tell you.”

Jones, who joined United from Blackburn for £16.5m in 2011, feels that way with Mourinho – but got a totally different vibe with Van Gaal.

The England international was ruled out for a couple of months after suffering a knee injury last January, but when fit again he was forced to play in the reserves.

It all meant that Jones ended up watching from the bench as United beat Crystal Palace at Wembley in May to win the FA Cup, in what turned out to be Van Gaal’s last game in charge.

The defender said: “During the last two months of last season, I was fit and playing. I was just made to play reserve games.

“For whatever reason, he thought I needed to be fitter. I had no problem with that. I just played the games. I did what I could do to get back in the team and unfortunately it didn’t really work out under him.

“But again that is football, some players are liked and some players aren’t.

“No question there were thoughts about my future. It was in the back of my mind. If you are not playing games, that speaks volumes.

“I said to myself at the start of the season that if someone believes in me and gives me the chance I know I am more than capable of delivering for the manager. Jose has done that.”

Jones pointedly left Van Gaal off the list of managers he believes have given him the right support.

He said: “I feel there have been only three managers who have every truly believed in me and understood me as a player.

“That’s not being critical of other managers but the only three were Sam Allardyce, Sir Alex Ferguson and now Jose Mourinho.

“They have all given me belief and confidence. I am not one who needs to be patted on the back every single day and told I am brilliant. Some players need that, I don’t. But those three certainly gave me confidence.”

Mourinho’s skills as a boss have also won praise from United captain Wayne Rooney.

“I think he knows what he wants from the players, and the players know what the manager wants from them,” Rooney said.

“He’s strong in that sense but as long as you’re doing what he wants, then I’m sure you’ll be fine.

“I think you can see he has got a winning mentality - not that we didn’t have that already, but he’s certainly reminded us of that.”

Off the pitch, United’s debt has soared by £87m to £409.3m according to their latest accounts – which cover the three months up to the end of December.

That is despite the fact that they made a profit of £37.6m over that three-month period. The increase in debt has been blamed on the fact that the pound is currently weak against the American dollar after the Brexit vote.